Teen driver insurance questions

[HiggyBaby 2545]

So my oldest is about to turn 16. Any tips in general on easing the pain of adding a teen driver? Any specific tips to USAA? Do I need supplemental umbrella coverage?

 

So far I’ve upped our liability to $300k/$500k.

And his car will have dash cams and probably life 360 to help mitigate whatever may be coming.

[FizzleFish 137]

27 minutes ago, HiggyBaby said:

 

I have nothing for you. I've had 4 kid drivers (3 boys and 1 girl - all 2 years apart).  Still covering them all (18-24 years of age). Think we were paying like 1200 for the 4 of them thru usaa.  USAA dropped us because 2 boys and the girl had 1 or more accidents. Jesus Christ, our son launched his car into the trees coming back from a weekend in college station.  Daughter has had "2 deer" accidents. Other son is on his 4th car I think (2 his fault - also, requires a little help due to brain cancer fuckin him over). Our youngest son has had no accidents or tickets.

 

Can't wait to get them off my shit. 

[Sandman 3410]

When I added my kids, my cost doubled. I wanted to cry. I make them pay $100/mo. Knock on wood, they've done fine. 

I actually tried to switch to USAA after a while but their quote was almost double of the newly doubled price I was paying. The agent said "Yeah, USAA doesn't like teen drivers.". Fuck that noise. 

Edited August 5, 2022 by Sandman

[PantsTent 2002]

I have nothing for you. I've had 4 kid drivers (3 boys and 1 girl - all 2 years apart).  Still covering them all (18-24 years of age). Think we were paying like 1200 for the 4 of them thru usaa.  USAA dropped us because 2 boys and the girl had 1 or more accidents. Jesus Christ, our son launched his car into the trees coming back from a weekend in college station.  Daughter has had "2 deer" accidents. Other son is on his 4th car I think (2 his fault - also, requires a little help due to brain cancer fuckin him over). Our youngest son has had no accidents or tickets.
 
Can't wait to get them off my shit. 

$1200 per what? If that’s a 6 month policy I’m getting fucked.

[conVINCEd 21469]

9 minutes ago, PantsTent said:

$1200 per what? If that’s a 6 month policy I’m getting fucked.

If his kids like playing bumper cars I’m guessing that is per month.

[Jerry Callo 8714]

Progressive is supposed to be one of the most reasonably priced for young drivers. That's what we have. Much cheaper than the Liberty Mutual coverage we had before. Might be worth it to get a quote.

[Brew 3049]

Just prepare for them to go no lube on you. It’s the parents right of passage. Ours doubled when we added our oldest daughter. 

[PantsTent 2002]

If his kids like playing bumper cars I’m guessing that is per month.

Yeah I figure not 6 months but that number monthly is frightening. For the record, 2 teens, 4 cars total, $2600 / 6 months. Progressive and none of us have tickets or accidents.

[dcbc 14504]

Seriously.  Lube.

 

I got @C-Man to run me a quote a few years ago.  He's a gentle lover, but the teen driver resulted in some S&M shit.  No offense and NTTAWWT. 

 

I asked him when mine turned 16 last year what I should be looking for in a car.  I think he said, nothing too pretty.  Nothing too fast or perceived as fast.  Liability is the kicker.  The theft and fire is mostly tied to the value of car (or so I recall).

 

Adding the third car bumped it about $40 per month.  Adding the 16 year old male driver in a slow, 11 year old car increased my monthly 2.3x.

Edited August 5, 2022 by dcbc

[FizzleFish 137]

1 hour ago, PantsTent said:

$1200 per what? If that’s a 6 month policy I’m getting fucked.

 Lol. A month for 6 of us. 

Edited August 5, 2022 by FizzleFish

[Your Mom 4830]

I pay USAA $1270 per six months for myself and my 17-year-old son. Liability only. No claims for him yet.  I drive an older Lexus SUV and he drives an older Tacoma.  Both have been paid off for many years and the cost of either one of those vehicles being completely totaled wouldn’t be much burden to replace.  For me the risk of liability only is worth it.   My younger one turns 15 in a few months and I’m holding onto the old SUV for him to drive.  Once he gets on the policy and takes my car I’ll add a new truck for myself with full coverage I’m sure I’ll need to budget for some lube.  
 

Edited August 6, 2022 by Your Mom

[Brew 3049]

Checked ours, it doubled. Escalade, F250, and golf cart (all 3 pretty well brand new) run $800 every 6 months. The 16 year old and her Escape runs $897.

[MonkeyDoughnut 10340]

Had boy driver's, USAA was more than double almost every other company. When they went to raise it again was when I discovered that. We had no tickets, no claims, no accidents with the teens. Wife and I no claims single speeding ticket in 25 years of USAA membership.  Haven't looked back only wish I left earlier.

Edited August 6, 2022 by MonkeyDoughnut

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

Don't forget (along with the used older car advice) to get the good student discount if they have the grades. I can't recall how much it was, but every little bit helps.

[Herbie Hancock 7370]

Do what my dad did and tell me if I want to drive I pay for gas and he’ll split insurance with me until I get in my first wreck then I’m on my own? Obviously gas isn’t $1.39/gal anymore but it was a lesson in a lot of ways.

[HiggyBaby 2545]

Don't forget (along with the used older car advice) to get the good student discount if they have the grades. I can't recall how much it was, but every little bit helps.

Good to know

Just prepare for them to go no lube on you. It’s the parents right of passage. Ours doubled when we added our oldest daughter. 

Can’t wait. Yeah I’ll have to tweak coverages . Probably go strict liability on his vehicle. Current at $1000/6 months for two cars. About to be three.

[Herbie Hancock 7370]

Shop around and ask about every discount you can. My buddy is a broker and he is constantly getting me silly discounts. We got one because my wife was a teacher. I got one for being a firefighter. I got another discount because I bundled my homeowners with the auto. Got like 10% off because I paid in full for the year. They even offered a discount if you drove less than X amount of miles per week (didn’t apply to me).

[Brew 3049]

45 minutes ago, Herbie Hancock said:

Shop around and ask about every discount you can. My buddy is a broker and he is constantly getting me silly discounts. We got one because my wife was a teacher. I got one for being a firefighter. I got another discount because I bundled my homeowners with the auto. Got like 10% off because I paid in full for the year. They even offered a discount if you drove less than X amount of miles per week (didn’t apply to me).

You can also add a minimal life insurance policy with some and the home/auto discount more than covers the cost.

[Surly Bevo 25102]

Your best bet

https://www.amazon.com/Passion-Lubes-Natural-Water-Based-Lubricant/dp/B005MR3IVO

[ClubWhatever 12154]

This thread hits close to home and is lulzy.  It’s fucking expensive.  That’s all I got. 

[DCLonghorn 244]

GEICO. Adding one kid more than doubled ours (mom and dad on the policy). It added over $100 per month comparing 2017 to 2019 (last full year with mom/dad v first full year with kid added). Rates have gone up since then.  Had to extrapolate total costs as they don't make it easy to pull out cost per driver. 

Tip: when they head off to college, if they aren't driving there and it's far enough from home (not commuting) you can call and have them lower the rate for them while in college. You don't have to call them in the summer or on breaks, they assume s/he is driving when they are home. 

Gulp... Three other kids will need to be insured this year! 

[DCLonghorn 244]

Tip for anyone: if you are working from home, or otherwise driving less than pre-COVID, call and adjust miles driven. They will lower your rates a bit. 

[DCLonghorn 244]

14 hours ago, Mrs Whiggins said:

Don't forget (along with the used older car advice) to get the good student discount if they have the grades. I can't recall how much it was, but every little bit helps.

Didn't know this! Thank you!! 

Unverified Interwebs says 15% discount for GEICO. 

[dcbc 14504]

13 hours ago, Herbie Hancock said:

Do what my dad did and tell me if I want to drive I pay for gas and he’ll split insurance with me until I get in my first wreck then I’m on my own? Obviously gas isn’t $1.39/gal anymore but it was a lesson in a lot of ways.

The kid pays for his own gas and Venmo's me $150 each month for part of his insurance bill.  The grumbling noises he makes when he does so tell me he's learning.

[C-Man 27247]

Seriously.  Lube.
 
I got [mention=298]C-Man[/mention] to run me a quote a few years ago.  He's a gentle lover, but the teen driver resulted in some S&M shit.  No offense and NTTAWWT. 
 
I asked him when mine turned 16 last year what I should be looking for in a car.  I think he said, nothing too pretty.  Nothing too fast or perceived as fast.  Liability is the kicker.  The theft and fire is mostly tied to the value of car (or so I recall).
 
Adding the third car bumped it about $40 per month.  Adding the 16 year old male driver in a slow, 11 year old car increased my monthly 2.3x.

Thank you for your kind words. LOL

You can pretty much count on your annual auto premium doubling when you add a 16-year-old driver. There are discounts for good grades and maybe a few other “tricks” but it’s pretty much NLAA.

[conVINCEd 21469]

8 hours ago, C-Man said:

Thank you for your kind words. LOL

You can pretty much count on your annual auto premium doubling when you add a 16-year-old driver. There are discounts for good grades and maybe a few other “tricks” but it’s pretty much NLAA.

You haven’t really lived until you get a phone call from one of your best customers because the geniuses in underwriting decided to designate a 16 year old male as the primary driver on his father’s 911 GT3.

[Buzzrock 14936]

Subscribed. My oldest turned 16 in June but so far has shown little interest in getting her license. I assume I don’t need to call the insurance company until she has her license. I’m ok with it for now because I’m not in a hurry to buy another car or double our insurance.

I have had everything on USAA forever but wouldn’t have any qualms about leaving them. My dad is retired Air Force (and why I’m on them) and he has soured on them over the years.

[C-Man 27247]

Subscribed. My oldest turned 16 in June but so far has shown little interest in getting her license. I assume I don’t need to call the insurance company until she has her license. I’m ok with it for now because I’m not in a hurry to buy another car or double our insurance.

I have had everything on USAA forever but wouldn’t have any qualms about leaving them. My dad is retired Air Force (and why I’m on them) and he has soured on them over the years.

You do not need to add one of the kids until they get their permanent license.

Happy to look and see if there’s anything I can do for you. Shoot me a private message and I’ll send you my work email address if interested.

[morehornsepower 887]

Shit, we have a 20yr old and a 17yr old...with a soon-to-be-16yr old about to be added.  We've been on USAA forever, but now I'm wondering if we should be shopping around...

[Mac8111 2111]

Seriously. Just start having someone in your family kick you twice in the nuts every morning to prep you for that insurance premium spike.


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[Jerry Callo 8714]

17 hours ago, morehornsepower said:

Shit, we have a 20yr old and a 17yr old...with a soon-to-be-16yr old about to be added.  We've been on USAA forever, but now I'm wondering if we should be shopping around...

It can hurt to shop around.  I was blissfully ignorant* for years before the adding a teenager gut punch - then found out we'd been paying way too much.

* I still am, but I was then too.

[Tailgate 3022]

It is horse shit. Both my kids are 20+ but since they are drivers under policies I pay for (their cars) on my new car they (USAA) gave me a double rate bump quote. I was like WTF…I’m the only one driving this car…they said “no lube.”

[horn4life 3780]

On 8/5/2022 at 2:43 PM, HiggyBaby said:

 

So my oldest is about to turn 16. Any tips in general on easing the pain of adding a teen driver? Any specific tips to USAA? Do I need supplemental umbrella coverage?

 

So far I’ve upped our liability to $300k/$500k.

And his car will have dash cams and probably life 360 to help mitigate whatever may be coming.

 

If I was your son, you would be so proud on the one had on my prowess. As it's fucking hard to shift and drive with one hand and finger with the other... Especially on cam!

USAA is good. You are paying a premium, and I know this personally. Amica is probably the best for the buck.  But since I am finishing out a $70K claim on the house with USAA I am not changing yet.  Small engine and small passenger capacity is your only potential savior on insurance. Defensive driving certification also cuts the premiuam as well as honor role at USAA. Or did 8 years ago.

 

 

[Mac8111 2111]

Progressive and Safeco both had apps that the student would download and it would monitor any fast acceleration or slamming on the breaks. If they were a normal driver, there was a discount involved for completing the program.


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[MonkeyDoughnut 10340]

On 8/8/2022 at 5:48 PM, morehornsepower said:

Shit, we have a 20yr old and a 17yr old...with a soon-to-be-16yr old about to be added.  We've been on USAA forever, but now I'm wondering if we should be shopping around...

In the 6 years since leaving USAA I have more than paid for one of my kids cars (20K+) with just the insurance savings.... USAA rate was more than double.  They kept telling me when leaving that the other company would raise it soon and often.  In those 6 years new company has lowered my rate almost every year.

[Jerry Callo 8714]

6 hours ago, Mac8111 said:

Progressive and Safeco both had apps that the student would download and it would monitor any fast acceleration or slamming on the breaks. If they were a normal driver, there was a discount involved for completing the program.


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I'd be careful with those apps.  They are not designed to identify discounts for customers.

[DanRydell 799]

On 8/5/2022 at 5:26 PM, Jerry Callo said:

Progressive is supposed to be one of the most reasonably priced for young drivers. That's what we have. Much cheaper than the Liberty Mutual coverage we had before. Might be worth it to get a quote.

If you enjoy being sued, Progressive should definitely be your go to insurance company.

[CooterBrown 18022]

Just got a quote to add my teen and a new cross trek. It’s an additional $4200/year. I think $1200 is the car and $3000 is the new driver. Fuck. I’ll be paying $350 extra in insurance a month which way exceeds the new $210 car note.

[conVINCEd 21469]

2 hours ago, CooterBrown said:

Just got a quote to add my teen and a new cross trek. It’s an additional $4200/year. I think $1200 is the car and $3000 is the new driver. Fuck. I’ll be paying $350 extra in insurance a month which way exceeds the new $210 car note.

You should shop that.  That’s pretty high.

[C-Man 27247]

3 hours ago, CooterBrown said:

Just got a quote to add my teen and a new cross trek. It’s an additional $4200/year. I think $1200 is the car and $3000 is the new driver. Fuck. I’ll be paying $350 extra in insurance a month which way exceeds the new $210 car note.

I'm not overly surprised at those numbers. But shoot me a PM. I'd be happy to see if we can find any better alternatives for you if you're interested.

[TwiceHorn 31519]

Man, when I was a young'un, USAA, if eligible, was the magic bullet for young drivers. I think their overall rates and youth driver rates were about the lowest around.  Of course, this was OG USAA, available only to officers and their dependents.

Seems like as they have expanded their eligibility to former JROTC members and their third cousins, everything has dropped off and the rates have increased substantially.

[Nueces River Rat 5539]

Whatever you cheapskates do (tounge in check Surly),  DO NOT let an Agent talk you into excluding your teen driver in order to satisfy you wish for a lower premium and for them to make a sale.    Some companies might accept a claim if your teen driver wreck a vehicle and add them to your policy.  While others will say tough chit and you are on your own.   And if you are really  a cheapskate and take State Minimums or even the next tier up with inflation almost feels like state minis  on the advice of an Agent wanting to make the sale,  you made your bed so to speak......

[Nueces River Rat 5539]

5 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

Man, when I was a young'un, USAA, if eligible, was the magic bullet for young drivers. I think their overall rates and youth driver rates were about the lowest around.  Of course, this was OG USAA, available only to officers and their dependents.

Seems like as they have expanded their eligibility to former JROTC members and their third cousins, everything has dropped off and the rates have increased substantially.

Pretty much.   I’ve only been in the industry for three years, but before then I recall hearing how good of a product and service you’d get from USAA and was disappointed I could never get their products because my only link to prior military service had already passed on which was my Dad.  
 

Now being in the industry I get to talk to current and former policy holders in their two primary lines which is home and auto, and they tell you they’ve noticed some drop off. Enough for them to cast a line to see if something else is out there.    I tell folks they have to pay form their advertising and exclusive promotions they have during the college football  and NFL seasons.  And because their client base is still limited compared to big three captives and many of the major non captive name brands, the money has to come from somewhere.   Either premium increases or service ….or both. 

[C-Man 27247]

2 hours ago, Nueces River Rat said:

Pretty much.   I’ve only been in the industry for three years, but before then I recall hearing how good of a product and service you’d get from USAA and was disappointed I could never get their products because my only link to prior military service had already passed on which was my Dad.  
 

Now being in the industry I get to talk to current and former policy holders in their two primary lines which is home and auto, and they tell you they’ve noticed some drop off. Enough for them to cast a line to see if something else is out there.    I tell folks they have to pay form their advertising and exclusive promotions they have during the college football  and NFL seasons.  And because their client base is still limited compared to big three captives and many of the major non captive name brands, the money has to come from somewhere.   Either premium increases or service ….or both. 

Yes, USAA isn't what it once was for many of the reasons listed above. They've opened it up to more people and don't have near the customer service it once did. You don't have a dedicated agent either -- when you call in, you go through a call center. USAA's pricing can still, though, be pretty good at least on the auto side of things.

Also, listen to @Nueces River Rat when he says do NOT set things up where your kid is not on your policy. You're only asking for lots and lots of trouble there. Kids are going to get in accidents the first year they're driving. I think the stats say like 60% of 16-year-olds have an accident in the first year they have their license. Cars cost more, repairs cost more. It's a shit-show out there.

[CooterBrown 18022]

Traveler's gave me a quote for $200/mo for the new car and me, the wife, and daughter as drivers. That saves me $150/mo over adding her and the car to my LM policy.

Here's a question, if I put my kid's car on a separate policy through another carrier, do I still need to add her to my other auto policy? I'm okay with her never driving the Sequoia or Bronco and having her limited to her own car.

 

[conVINCEd 21469]

32 minutes ago, CooterBrown said:

Traveler's gave me a quote for $200/mo for the new car and me, the wife, and daughter as drivers. That saves me $150/mo over adding her and the car to my LM policy.

Here's a question, if I put my kid's car on a separate policy through another carrier, do I still need to add her to my other auto policy? I'm okay with her never driving the Sequoia or Bronco and having her limited to her own car.

 

Don’t ever exclude a driver unless you have absolutely no choice.  

[royiv 9333]

2 hours ago, CooterBrown said:

Traveler's gave me a quote for $200/mo for the new car and me, the wife, and daughter as drivers. That saves me $150/mo over adding her and the car to my LM policy.

Here's a question, if I put my kid's car on a separate policy through another carrier, do I still need to add her to my other auto policy? I'm okay with her never driving the Sequoia or Bronco and having her limited to her own car.

 

You need to talk to a good agent. Excluding a driver is an incredibly bad idea. @C-Man always gives good insurance advice.

[Nueces River Rat 5539]

2 hours ago, CooterBrown said:

Traveler's gave me a quote for $200/mo for the new car and me, the wife, and daughter as drivers. That saves me $150/mo over adding her and the car to my LM policy.

Here's a question, if I put my kid's car on a separate policy through another carrier, do I still need to add her to my other auto policy? I'm okay with her never driving the Sequoia or Bronco and having her limited to her own car.

 

If she is still part of your household as defined by your carrier, you better keep her on your policy. 

[C-Man 27247]

Traveler's gave me a quote for $200/mo for the new car and me, the wife, and daughter as drivers. That saves me $150/mo over adding her and the car to my LM policy.
Here's a question, if I put my kid's car on a separate policy through another carrier, do I still need to add her to my other auto policy? I'm okay with her never driving the Sequoia or Bronco and having her limited to her own car.
 

Never a good idea IMO to have multiple auto policies/carriers in the same household. You’re better off moving everything to Travelers if the pricing is better.

[CooterBrown 18022]

I spoke with a second Liberty Mutual agent who was much more helpful. The LM rate was the same but she offered to switch my auto insurance to Progressive, keeping the exact same policy terms, and it was $3600 a year vs $6500 for 3 cars + a teen driver. Since Progressive is a corporate partner, I will still get all the discounts on all my other insurance policies. With home, life, and umbrella policies, that discount is pretty significant.